TII Motorway Service Areas (MSA) Progress Thread

whyulittle

The digital displays for the petrol/diesel prices were uncovered on the eastbound M4 carraigway today. They seem to have those signs up and uncovered way too early, if it's not going to open until, October, did I read on here?

Carwash visible at each station this morning, which I hadn't noticed before.

Amtmann

Geogregor wrote: »

How about the time frame? When the Cashel MSA is going to be build?

There is no way to tell geogregor. The service areas are indefinitely postponed, but this announcement took me by surprise and I'm hopeful that it could be built by sometime in 2013 at a guess. Maybe sooner, maybe not. We'll have to wait and see. Political pressure might put the MSAs back on the NRA's list of priorities.

What is the next step? Is location approved on 100% ?

The location is approved 100%. The next step is to buy the land and, I presume, put the contract out to tender. The sooner the tender is announced, the sooner the MSA will be built.

How about the other MSA? (like Kilcullen)

Dead in the water for now.

Trotter

Does anyone know if there are plans for any service stations on the M9? I almost got caught without petrol on the Dublin Galway motorway recently and given that I'll be using the M9 quite a bit I was curious as to what services plans there are (or arent!).

Pete_Cavan

Trotter wrote: »

Does anyone know if there are plans for any service stations on the M9? I almost got caught without petrol on the Dublin Galway motorway recently and given that I'll be using the M9 quite a bit I was curious as to what services plans there are (or arent!).

Ah lads, there is already a thread on MSA in general, there is no need to open a new one just so you can ask a question about the M9.

Amtmann

Trotter wrote: »

Any info on the question though?

Trotter, if you view from here you will find an answer.

For offline services, ask here. I'm quite unfamiliar with the M9, hence I can't be of more direct help.

L1011

Horan's Maxol Castledermot is probably the closest to a junction on the M9 (J4 Carlow North/Castledermot), but the one in Crookstown which is quite a bit further from a junction (J3) is a lot closer to being a proto-MSA. Large shop, deli, some seating, other shops (chemist, doctor, butcher).

There is nothing great near the other open section as it stands and I'm unsure what will be near the uncompleted section - the N9 corridor was poorly served to begin with!

brian ireland

The service station heading north on the M1 Lusk will open on Wednesday 8th September. The service Station on the opposite side of the motor-way heading into Dublin will open the following Wednesday Sept 15th.

nordydan

brian ireland wrote: »

The service station heading north on the M1 Lusk will open on Wednesday 8th September. The service Station on the opposite side of the motor-way heading into Dublin will open the following Wednesday Sept 15th.

Saw the signs up today when I was driving down the road, orange signs saying "opening mid-september".

Further up the road, similar signs stated "opening end September" for the ones at Castlebellingham (or at least the southbound one)

brian ireland

The dates i have posted are correct.

Absurdum

brian ireland wrote: »

The service station heading north on the M1 Lusk will open on Wednesday 8th September. The service Station on the opposite side of the motor-way heading into Dublin will open the following Wednesday Sept 15th.

I thought the southbound one might be open this morning because the traffic was unusually heavy, but no, it was just a car stopped in the hard shoulder so everyone had to slow down and have a look, just in case it was something interesting.

Bluetonic

I wonder did this open this morning?

They were taking the cones up last night and fitting out the traditional forecourt yesterday afternoon.

cargo

Bluetonic wrote: »

I wonder did this open this morning?

They were taking the cones up last night and fitting out the traditional forecourt yesterday afternoon.

Just heard someone on the radio a few minutes ago saying it was open. Loads of yellow jackets outside building (NB) this am when I was passing. Probably a bit of a cermony or a photoshoot going on.

Amtmann

Can someone confirm that it is in fact open? Photos please!!

Bluetonic

Furet wrote: »

Can someone confirm that it is in fact open? Photos please!!

I'll call in tomorrow and grab a few if no one has done so in the meantime.

Chris_5339762

Can you tell us the petrol prices too? Will be interesting if these are the typical ripoff prices that MSAs all over Europe charge.

Bluetonic

Chris_5339762 wrote: »

Can you tell us the petrol prices too? Will be interesting if these are the typical ripoff prices that MSAs all over Europe charge.

Someone over on Motors confirming diesel is the same price.

I'll check tomorrow.

slinky2000

Furet wrote: »

Can someone confirm that it is in fact open? Photos please!!

Yea it's open now, The girlfriend called in for petrol on her way up North

Bluetonic

As promised.

Very spacious inside with lots of seating.

Serious amount of truck and car parking.

Fuel prices as per local garages.

Bluetonic

A few more (blurry) inside shots.

Amtmann

Looks fantastic actually. I'm very impressed. Hopefully this will spur the NRA into finding funding for a few more after this.

Bluetonic

Furet wrote: »

Looks fantastic actually. I'm very impressed. Hopefully this will spur the NRA into finding funding for a few more after this.

It's really impressive being totally honest. Lots of variety food wise, lots of seating, a child play area, large toilets, and tons of car and truck parking.

121.8 and 130.8 for petrol and diesel respectively. The exact same as the Applegreen at M1 J5 on the R132.

Davy

Looks better than i thought it would be, seems very spacious

cargo

Some fancy new pumps as well with card payment options so you don't need to go inside to pay if you don't fancy it. Although some of them were giving guff when i was in this evening but a few teething problems are to be expected.

looks good though.

Jayuu

Looks fantastic. Are Applegreen doing all the current service areas? If so then I hope the others are to this standard.

Just a pity we don't have more of them. I honestly can't see why the NRA aren't just implementing these in some sort of PPP arrangement. As long as some mimimum standard of service is agreed then let the private sector build them. Then all the NRA has to do is to build the access roads. It seems fairly clear to me that these would be well used if they were on all the routes.

Amtmann

I took a look today as I was on the M50 anyway and it wasn't too far out of my way. I was extremely impressed to be perfectly honest. The other customers were too - you could see it on their faces. The range of food is very good, and the seating and parking is more than adequate. The shop, as was posted above, is extremely well stocked with just about everything you could need. I noticed an OSI stand selling the latest Irish road atlas by the way, and there were also books, DVDs and CDs for sale there. Absolutely brilliant and I really hope we see at least one on the Ms 6, 7 and 8 before too long. The other M1 MSA on the southbound carriageway seems to be a few weeks away from completion.

Chris_5339762

Looks great. Really hope this will spur on some more.

If we got the M8 Cashel one built it would probably do for the time being; possibly one on the M9 too. We aint getting one every 60km for ages, but one halfway down each interurban would do well.

flazio

Bluetonic wrote: »

121.8 and 130.8 for petrol and diesel respectively. The exact same as the Applegreen at M1 J5 on the R132.

Other way around surely?
This proposed Cashel stop already signed to Applegreen or could someone else get the nod? Did the Mother Hubbard parent company ever tender for any of the contracts? I'd be surprised if they didn't, this sort of thing would be right up their alley.

Bluetonic

flazio wrote: »

Other way around surely?
This proposed Cashel stop already signed to Applegreen or could someone else get the nod? Did the Mother Hubbard parent company ever tender for any of the contracts? I'd be surprised if they didn't, this sort of thing would be right up their alley.

Indeed, other way around.

The southbound one opens next Wednesday with a big official opening with circa 400 guests.

Each building, southbound and northbound have seating for 300 and are exactly the same size and layout. There is more parking on the northbound site.

The buildings further north at Dundalk are slightly smaller than the Lusk buildings.

L1011

Jayuu wrote: »

Looks fantastic. Are Applegreen doing all the current service areas? If so then I hope the others are to this standard. .

Applegreen/Tedcastle's "Superstop" have got all the current contracts.

Absurdum

cargo wrote: »

Some fancy new pumps as well with card payment options so you don't need to go inside to pay if you don't fancy it. Although some of them were giving guff when i was in this evening but a few teething problems are to be expected.

I was wondering about this - what's the payment procedure? Were there any delays caused by motorists filling up then going inside to do a load of shopping/browsing before paying and returning to their car?